Switch-board



(No Model.)

IE. BLAKE I SWITH BOARD. No. 295,228. Patented Mar. 18, 1884.

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ST1-riens IlNrrnn PATENT Ormea.

FRANCIS BLAKE, OF VESTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SWiTCH-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,223, dated March 18, 1884.

Application tiled August G, iSB.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Fnaxcis BLAKE, of Veston, in the 'State ot' Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Switch-Boards, ot' which the following is a specilication.

The invention relates to that i'orin ot' switchboard which consists, essentially, oi" two series of iixed conducting-rods, insulated each l rod from every other, while each rod of one l series crosses every rod of thel other series, and is provided with a sliding contact-pin or other similar device, by which electrical connection may -be made between it and any rod ot' the other series. In switch-boards oi' this description as heretofore constructed, each contactt pin or similar device has remained at all times in contact with the rod on which it travels, and provision has been made that it might also be held or locked in electrical contact with any rod which it might cross in its sliding movement. All this is true oi' niy improved board; but in i'ormer boards the sliding device i has been liable in its sliding movement on its i own rod to rub against the rods ot" the crossed series, or it has been necessary, either at the beginning or at the end of the sliding movement, .as the case might be, to break or make i a contact between said device and one oi the l, crossed series by a movement ol' the hand of the operator separate and distinct i'rom that movement of his hand which gives to the said device its sliding or longitudinal movement on its own rod, thus oceasioning a loss ot' time, l while in the use of my improved board no l such rubbing occurs, and no such separate movement of the hand et' thev operator is required. On the contrary, in the practical opg eration of aswiteh-board embodying my presl ent invention7 the i'oree of the hand ci" the i operator may be exerted at once to move the l contact device longitudinally in either diree- E l l l tion upon its own rod from one crossed rod to another, and when the force is so directed it causes the contact device to clear the intervening crossed rods.

Accordingly, my improvement may be said to consist in the combination, with the two sel ries oil' conducting-rods in a switch-board, ot' contact devices attached, one contact device to each of the rods in one otl the series, and each of said contact devices having a double l movement under the force of the hand ofthe (No model.)

operator exerted in substantially the longitudinal direction ot' its rod.

Another distinct improvement consists in mounting the two series of rods in two `frames and hinging one frame to the other, whereby either series may be more easily kept in order or more easily repaired.

Both these improvements are represented in the accompanying drawings. It should be observed. however, that the term rods in this speeiiieation, including the claims, is used as eomprehending any kind of conductors employed in series on switch-boards.

Figurel is aplan of a switch-board embodying my said improvements. Fig. 2 is a section ot' the same. Figs. 8, 4, 5, and 6 represent details, as will hereinafter appear.

A is a table or frame ol'insulating material, to which are secured, in any proper manner,a number of conducting strips or plates, c, and a number ol' non-comlucting strips or plates, i?, put together alternately in a mass, face against i'ace, substantially as described in my Patent No. 276,216. B B are two bars of insulating material, in which are secured a number ot' metallic bars or rods, b. The two bars ot' insulating material, B B, although held t0- gether by the metallic bars b, maybe regarded as a i'rame l'or said metallic bars. One ot' them is hinged to the trame or table A by hinges It It, as shown. The hinged frame carrying the b bars may be swung on its hinges up or back from the other frame, to allow the removal of dust or other matter interfering with the iusulation oi" the c bars. It may be locked to the other by any suitable device when the board is operated. The bars or plates c form one series ot' conductors, or conducting reds,77 as they are herein termed, and the bars I) a second series. By a slight changein working details, either series may be used as linerods; but in using the apparatus shown I put the rods b in-thc lines and use the rods c as connectors, making connection between any two b rods by any c rod.

G C are the contact devices. One is appropriated to each b rod. Each is wholly oi' metal, and constructed as follows: First three plates, p', p?, and p, are pinned together in the i'orm oi'a saddle,closel y iitting and riding one ot' the I) bars. To across-bar, d, uniting the side plates, p2 and p, is secured. a

IOO

spring-lever, Z, having on each of its edges a pair of shoulders or projections, s s. The tendency of this springlever Z is away from its supports, and consequently away from its b bar toward the c bars. It carries the connectingpin proper, t. A forked lever, d, is pivoted at d astride the before-mentioned saddle, and carries the finger-piece e. The legs of the forked lever d extend upon either side of the spring-lever Z between the two beforementioned shoulders s s of that side, and each leg carries a eam-sl1aped foot, f, which, when the forked lever is tilted, acts upon one or the other ofthe said shoulders s to raise the spring1 lever Z, and with it the contact-pin proper, A spring, s, bearing` against the line-bar b and a pin, d2, between the side plates, p2 and p, keeps the saddle-piece on the b bar and regulates its friction. The index, as shown, is at the forward end of the saddle-piece, a little in advance of' the contact-pin proper, t, and accordingly the numerals or other suitable characters on the rod to which the contact device is attached are in advance of the correspond ing crossed rods. A pointer, o, also shows the position ofthe contact-point proper.

No further description ot'the inode ot' operation is necessary than to say that a slight tilt is given tothe forked lever d whenever the iinger-piece e is moved along its rod.

I do not limit myself to the precise `form ol' mechanism shown and above described 5 but I claiml. The combination, with two series of conducting-rods in a Switehboard, one series crossing the other, oi' contact-pins sliding' and tilting, one on each of the rods of one ol" the series, substantially as described, for the'purpose specified.

2. rlhe combination oitwo series of conducting-rods in a switch-board, one series hinged to the other, substantially as described.

FRAXCIS BLAKE.

XV. \V. SWAN, WM. S. Roenes. 

